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BFISH 2016: Hawaiʻi Bottomfish Survey Begins

October 13, 2016

The "Hawaii Deep 7" are an important local fishery, both economically and culturally. This stock, which is made up by opakapaka (pink
snapper), onaga (longtail snapper), ehu (squirrelfish snapper), kalekale (Von Siebold's snapper), gindai (Brigham's snapper),
lehi (silverjaw snapper), and hapuʻupuʻu (Seale's grouper), is the subject of the first-ever comprehensive, multi-gear,
fishery-independent survey for this complex fishery in Hawaiian waters. The survey's goal is to work cooperatively with local
fishermen and use new technologies to obtain information about this group of seven deep-water snappers and grouper that will improve our
understanding of these important fish populations around Hawaiʻi and inform management decisions.

The Hawaiʻi Deep 7 bottomfish are a group of seven deep-water snappers and groupers.

"This effort is five years in development and we are anxious to use our state-of-the-art cooperative research to understand fish
populations and provide the best scientific information to fishery managers for the Deep 7 complex", said Dr. Michael Seki, Director of
NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.

Cooperative Research Fishermen aboard the R/V Naomi K supporting the BFISH Main Hawaiian Islands Bottomfish Survey off of
Maui.

The survey is being conducted in two phases. During phase one, which began in September, PIFSC scientists are working with local
fishermen, in partnership with the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group, to collect using a fishing technique that mimics the commercial
fishery, but which has been standardized by having each fishing vessel use the same set up of hooks, line, and bait. Fishermen are asked
to record the species, number, and size of each fish captured. For biological data, the fish are sent to NOAA for processing to
determine, among other things, how long these fish live, when they start producing offspring, and how many offspring are normally
produced.

During phase 2, which will take place in the later half of October, PIFSC scientists will set sail on the NOAA Ship Oscar Elton
Sette to use a new
underwater camera system
to collect video footage of these bottomfish, in their deep water habitat around the
main Hawaiian Islands. Scientists will be able to identify, count, and measure each fish seen in the video. This phase will be done in
collaboration with colleagues from the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research at the University of Hawaiʻi at
Mānoa and the University of Miami Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science.

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Opakapaka and Kahala as seen at a depth of 460 feet in video from the Modular Optical Underwater Survey System (MOUSS) (video contains no audio).

"This new information will help us continue to improve our knowledge of the Deep 7 bottomfish complex", said Dr. Benjamin Richards,
PIFSC Research Fishery Biologist and Chief Scientist for the Deep 7 BFISH survey.

The surveys will be completed by late October, but analysis of the data may take up to 6 months. The information from the surveys
enhances and expands upon data collected from the commercial fishery and will be used in stock assessment reports, which help to guide
management and conservation efforts for the Deep 7 complex.

This research expedition is being led by Dr. Benjamin Richards and Russell Reardon of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.